I have found a newspaper clipping, which includes a picture of the model, in a family Bible, belonging to George Pilkington and his wife Sarah Ann Hudson Edgar Pilkington. The clipping, according to the article on the back, appears to be from 1918 in the Sunday Journal and talks about the 1850's and 1860's. Please be aware that the last few inches of the last column are missing. ********************************** While passing along a thorough-fare or through a popular business section day after day, the average Providence man generally fails to note the changes that are gradually being made in its appearance. To be sure, the occasional demolition of a weather-beaten and time-worn structure, and the raising on its site of a pretentious business block, challenges attention, but for a while only. It is all taken as a matter of course. It is only when some old-timer comes into the neighborhood; one whose memory of the place carries him back half a century or so, that there is real appreciation of the great changes that have taken place. And there is no community centre which evidences more marked transformation than Olneyville square, erstwhile a part of the town of Johnston, now a thriving feature of Providence business activities. Among the few remaining who can recall the square as it appeared a half century or so ago when it boasted of but few houses and stores, is Charles W. Calder, now living at 37 Russell avenue, East Providence. Mr. Calder has built a model of the square as it appeared in 1863. Every building is faithfully reproduced in cardboard construction, the whole being made on a scale of 1-16 of an inch per foot. This was no light undertaking, for it required hours of careful research at the City Hall and elsewhere to secure accuracy of detail. Explaining the appearance of the locality, and recalling its business habitues of the other days, Mr. Calder said: "Olneyville square, 55 or 60 years ago, in the days just before the War of the Rebellion, was an important centre in the business life of our State. The men and women of those days, our fathers and grandfathers, with their wives and daughters, there met in business and social life. "They are all gone. Those of to-day who remember Olneyville square of the 50's and 60's were boys and girls at that time. And the buildings that were the homes and places of business in those days have been changed or removed in answer to the insistent call of business for greater and better accomodations; not one of them remains exactly as before. "In a walk and talk about the square, we will begin at the west end, at the junction of Plainfield street and Hartford avenue. Here stood a small 1 1/2-story building occupied by Robert McMillan as a meat market. This was a little later moved back to make room for another building, which for many years was occupied by William Mills and other photographers. "Next to the market on Plainfield road were the blacksmith shops of Laban and John Wade, and Luke Hanley; also the wheelwright shop of Harris Brown. These were not long since removed to provide a site for a motion picture house. The meat market was removed to the rear of No. 27 Pocasset avenue, where it has ever since stood, only it was there-after used as a dwelling. "Crossing Central pike, we turn east-ward along the north side of the square, beginning our inspection with the two-story buildings belonging to the Arthur Kimball estate. The first of these was occupied by two families, one being that of Laban Wade. This building was subsequently raised and made three stories in height, the ground floor being fitted up for stores. The second building had stores on the first floor, with a tenement on the second one, which was reached by a long flight of outside stairs built at the east end of the structure. Judge John Brayton lived there during the latter part of his life. "One of the stores was occupied as a grocery by Frank Cummings; also by W. Rouse and later by Alfred Lake. It was in this building that the Olneyville Free Library began its work. The Post Office was located in the west end of this building from 1870 to 1892. "Frank Cummings was the Postmaster, being succeded by Judge Brayton, who held the office until his death occurred, the office then being carried on by his widow and Thomas Sherman, who had been assisting the Postmaster. The next Postmaster was Col. W. H. P. Steere, in whose employ Miss S. C. Lewis came in 1873. Her term of service continued for 19 years, -- 10 with Col. Steere, four with Walter Brownell, and five years when she was in sole charge of the office. To be continued. Copied by Priscilla Fanning, January, 2005. --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term'